TNT ANNOUNCES WINTER 2012-13 PREMIERE DATES

October 2, 2012: As part of its strategic expansion to year-round original programming, TNT is set to burn brightly this winter with a slate of six original series. The lineup includes the return of three hit dramas, a new season of one of the most acclaimed series on television and the premiere of a brand new medical drama from David E. Kelley and Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Among TNT’s winter highlights, hit dramas Rizzoli & Isles and Leverage will return for a run of episodes beginning Nov. 27.

TNT’s hot new series Dallas will return for its second season on Jan. 28, followed on Feb. 4 by the debut of Monday Mornings, the new David E. Kelley-Sanjay Gupta medical drama starring Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina and Jamie Bamber.

On Feb. 13, TNT will launch the fifth season of Southland, the acclaimed police drama that puts viewers in the middle of the action on the streets of Los Angeles.

And on Feb. 27, TNT will premiere Boston’s Finest (working title), a new unscripted series with unprecedented access to the Boston Police Department, from executive producer Donnie Wahlberg.

When it comes to specials, TNT will showcase some of the music industry’s biggest stars in the network’s annual presentation of Christmas in Washington on Dec. 21. And TNT will team up with TBS for a live simulcast of the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® on Jan. 27.

A complete roster of TNT’s original series this winter is included below. Hi-res photos are available for download from TNT’s online pressroom at http://tntnewsroom.com.

RIZOLLI & ISLES

Winter Premiere: Tuesday, Nov. 27, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) Over the span of three seasons, Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander have proven that two heads are better than one in this Top 5 drama series. As Boston detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles, the pair share a quirky chemistry and put away some of Boston’s most notorious criminals. Developed by Janet Tamaro from the popular characters created by best-selling author Tess Gerritsen, Rizzoli & Isles is produced for TNT by Warner Horizon Television, Janet Tamaro’s Hurdler Productions and Bill Haber’s Ostar Productions.

LEVERAGE

Winter Premiere: Tuesday, Nov. 27, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT) Television’s coolest gang of thieves, grifters and con artists are back to close out the fifth season of this fast-paced, light-hearted caper series from blockbuster executive producer Dean Devlin’s Electric Entertainment. Academy Award® winner Timothy Hutton stars, along with Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, Beth Riesgraf and Aldis Hodge. Together, they attempt to take down those who would use wealth and power to take advantage of others.

DALLAS

Two-Hour Season Premiere: Monday, Jan. 28, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) This January, TNT is going to usher in the New Year with a whole new wave of back-stabbing, plot-scheming, black-mailing fun as the hit drama series Dallas returns for its second season. The exciting drama stars three iconic figures from the original series: Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray and Larry Hagman. They are joined by the next generation, played by Josh Henderson, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster and Julie Gonzalo. The series also stars Brenda Strong, Mitch Pileggi and Emma Bell. Produced by Warner Horizon Television, TNT’s Dallas burst onto the scene this past summer with an average of 6.1 million viewers. It currently ranks as basic cable’s #1 new drama for the year-to-date with key adult demos. Special Programming Note: TNT will build up to the season 2 premiere of Dallas with two days of episodes from the first season on Saturday, Jan. 26, and Sunday, Jan. 27.

MONDAY MORNINGS

Series Premiere: Monday, Feb. 4, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT) This powerful new series comes to TNT from award-winning producer David E. Kelley and practicing neurosurgeon and CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, M.D., on whose book the series is based. Set at the fictional Chelsea General Hospital in Portland, Ore.,Monday Mornings follows the lives of doctors as they push the limits of their abilities and confront their personal and professional failings. Produced by TNT Originals and David E. Kelley Productions, the series stars Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, Jamie Bamber, Jennifer Finnigan, Bill Irwin, Keong Sim, Sarayu Rao and Emily Swallow.

BOSTON’S FINEST (working title)

Series Premiere: Wednesday, Feb. 27 This gripping new series follows the men and women of the Boston Police Department, encompassing multiple units including the exclusive and highly decorated Gang Unit. Featuring detectives, investigators, beat officers, and others, we get an up close and personal look at what it takes to patrol and secure one of America’s greatest and most distinctive cities. Boston’s Finest (working title) comes to TNT from Jarrett Creative Group, along with executive producer Donnie Wahlberg’s Donnie D. Productions.